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Why do we produce earwax? Why do some people develop more than others? Why? Let’s try to answer some questions.
What is earwax?
Earwax, known medically as cerumen, is a naturally occurring sticky substance made up of oil and sweat, mixed with dirt and dead skin cells.
Earwax is natural and helpful
Earwax is a natural barrier that prevents dirt and bacteria from entering the deeper end of the ear canal. Because it is sticky, it is able to collect microscopic debris that can cause infections.
Earwax acts a moisturizer and protective coating of the ear canal. Without wax, your ear canal can become irritated and itchy, which can lead to an outer ear infection.
Surprisingly, earwax acts as an insect repellent. The smell of earwax keeps bugs out of your ears. The stickiness or earwax traps any bugs that might have a bad sense of smell.
Why cleaning your ear canals daily |is not necessary
Contrary to popular belief, we do not need to clean our ears with cotton swabs. Keep cotton swabs, paper clips, fingers etc out of your ears. An ear that is too clean is susceptible to infections and to wax impactions.
However, hearing aid users do need to clean their ears periodically. Earwax is the most common reason why a hearing aid will stop working. Please consult with your hearing care professional for advice on your particular needs.
What to do if you have impacted wax?
Buy an over-the-counter ear cleaning kit from the pharmacy; however, if you are prone to ear infections or you have PE tubes, see your physician before trying any over-the-counter products.
Do not use cotton swabs (Q-tips), paperclip or any other device you have lying around. This only pushes the wax further down into the ear canal which can impact on the eardrum or worse, puncture the eardrum.
Do not try ear candling. Besides not being effective, people have experienced burning from the candle, furthering of the impaction, and puncturing of the eardrum.
If you are not sure what to do, see your Physician or Audiologist for a professional cleaning. Your hearing care professional can look in your ears to determine if the wax needs to be removed or if it is not an issue.
Summer Fundraiser
We are taking ticket orders for the Summer Fundraiser!
The drawing will be August 4, 2023.
Grand Prize: a new set of Phonak Slim premium hearing aids
2nd Prize: TV transmitter
3rd Prize: $50.00 cash
Tickets are $5.00 apiece.
Please call 561-366-7219 to order
or mail cash or check to:
Audiology with a Heart
2324 S. Congress Ave, Suite 2G
Palm Springs, FL 33406